Did you know that 84% of new year’s resolutions made by Americans are about their physical or mental health and well-being (Forbes)? It makes sense to reset your focus on what is important, and that includes your vehicle health. As you plan your personal resolutions you may want to think about how you can establish a vehicle health resolution for this upcoming year. In this month’s blog post, we show you how easy it is to establish a vehicle health resolution that you can keep!
The best part about a vehicle health resolution is that you do not need to be responsible for implementing all the tasks to be successful. We have broken the tasks down into two responsibility areas:
- Tasks you can complete as the vehicle owner.
- Tasks you can assign to a service professional to complete on an ongoing basis.
Your Tasks
If you are not mechanically inclined, fear not. These tasks do not require any mechanical expertise. In addition to using your senses of sight, smell, sound, and touch to proactively identify problems with your vehicle, these tasks can keep your vehicle in good working order.
For starters, make sure to familiarize yourself with your specific vehicle by reviewing your owner’s manual. Most vehicle owners never open the manual, but it is a reliable source of information. Perform these tasks at least monthly – adding them to your calendar or mobile phone on the same date each month.
- Fluid Checks: You can easily check many of your vehicle’s vital fluids. Consult with your owner’s manual for the location to check the levels. If you notice a drop in fluids from month to month, consider contacting a service professional to inspect for a leak.
- Tire Checks: Keeping your tires in good condition will keep you and your occupants safe. You should always maintain your tire air pressure at the recommended pressure from the manufacturer. You can buy a simple tire pressure gauge to physically check the pressure on each tire. While checking pressure, look at the treads around the tire. Do they seem worn or damaged? Purchase an inexpensive tread depth tool to physically check the tire tread depth. If there are significant signs of wear, tear, or damage, then have your tire inspected to determine if it needs to be replaced.
- Wiper Blades: Windshield wipers are vital to your visibility in rain and snowy conditions. Make sure they are not cracked, broken, warped, or damaged. Check the front and rear blades (if applicable). If you notice the reduced performance of the wipers, purchase the right replacement and you can easily install them.
The Service Professional Tasks
While most resolutions require 100% effort on your part, the vehicle health resolution shares responsibility with a service professional. If you are interested in a formal plan, talk with the service professionals at Campus Repair to put together an ongoing proactive maintenance plan. We can make sure to keep it within your budget and address your vehicle’s current health.
The tasks in the ongoing plan may include
- Regular oil and filter changes
- Vehicle system or component inspections, including the brakes, transmission, exhaust, fuel, electrical, ignition, and steering
- Belt and hose inspections or adjustments
- Tire rotations, alignment, or balancing
- Heating/cooling system checks
- Engine and cabin filter checks and changes
- Other miscellaneous items, as needed
Service professionals have diagnostic tools that enable them to identify possible problems before they get under the hood. This gives them a heads-up on areas to check out each time your vehicle is in the shop for maintenance.
In addition to the ongoing tasks, you should speak with your service professional about implementing a long-term maintenance plan for the factory-scheduled maintenance items. These are items such as brake fluid and line flushes, transmissions, etc. These are important as well for the longevity of your vehicle’s health.
Take the first step toward better vehicle health and schedule an appointment today with Campus Repair. We will discuss a plan, help you implement the plan, and keep you informed of upcoming appointments along the way.